Muralists needed for June 30 bridge event

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

The two sides of the bridge are framed perfectly for murals

South Park Arts needs muralists for our soon-to-be-closed bridge! Would you like to put your mural-painting skills on display for the community? On Wednesday, June 30, at 7:30pm, the South Park community will be mourning the loss of our bridge with a wake and party. Instead of just mourning our loss of the bridge, South Park Arts would like to use the wake to celebrate new possibilities in our community. We’re hoping to have eight muralists spraying on the bridge during the party, giving the community something to watch, and transforming the structure from defunct infrastructure into artistic force.

The murals will remain intact for at least a year — possibly much, much longer — until the old bridge is demolished to build the new one. The sides of the bridge offer striking framed portions of concrete that can be filled with painted images (see photo). Later in the summer, the community will be working to transform the spaces around the bridge into a temporary park, and your mural will be the backdrop.

As for logistics, you will be given an arch under the bridge to fill, a small stipend for your time and supplies, and free food and drink. The event starts at 7:30pm, but you can begin your work at 7pm, and will need to consider that it will get dark around 9.

I would love to participate as a muralist on the Southpark Bridge. I have worke don murals and have one in progress on the side of my garage. I would love to conceptualize an idea that speaks to the loss of connection that will happen when the bridge goes down. The only caveat is that I would want to use paint with brushes along with spray paint.

South Park Arts is dedicated to supporting, representing, and promoting art and artists in Seattle’s South Park neighborhood